Statistical averages

Overall

Fully evolved

Battle properties

Generation I

Offensive

Defensive

Power

Types

Power

Types

2×

½×

½×

2×

0×

None

0×

Generation II-onward

Offensive

Defensive

Power

Types

Power

Types

2×

½×

½×

2×

0×

0×

None

Characteristics

Offense

Psychic-type Pokémon have been fairly popular since Generation I. Offensively, can also act as a special sweeper due to their typically high Speed and Special Attack. Furthermore, Psychic-type Pokémon can often learn moves of other types to deal with a multitude of types, especially their weaknesses to Dark, Ghost, and Bug. However, the greatest disadvantage is that Psychic-type moves are unable to affect Dark-type Pokémon. This immunity can be eliminated by using Miracle Eye.

Defense

Their defensive capabilities are generally poor, with low Defense and HP despite excellent Special Defense. Possibly compensating for their relatively insubstantial Defense and HP, Psychic-type Pokémon have access to moves such as Recover. Still, they can often only survive special-based hits, but can easily be defeated by one or two high-powered moves from a Pokémon with an average or above-average Attack stat. Psychic-type Pokémon also often fall to a single Crunch or Night Slash due to the high Attack of many Dark-type Pokémon. There are exceptions to this, such as Bronzong or Metagross, who have high defenses and lack a weakness to Dark-type moves.

Contest properties

When used in Contests, Psychic-type moves are typically Smart moves, but can also be of the other four Contest types, excluding Tough.

Pokémon

As of Generation V, there are 67 Psychic-type Pokémon or 10.32% of all Pokémon, making it the fifth most common type.

The user focuses its willpower to its head and attacks the target. It may also make the target flinch.

All details are accurate to Generation VII games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual move's page. Target data assumes user is in the lower left.

Balance issues

Psychic-type Pokémon were at the center of a balance issue in the Generation I games.[1] The issue arose from the lack of an effective countermeasure against Psychic types caused by the absence of any powerful Bug-type moves (at the time the only weaknesses of Psychic types). Strengthening the gap was the fact that the only actual Bug-type Pokémon to know the only potentially good Bug move was also part Poison-type, creating a vulnerability to Psychic moves, and that in the first-generation games, Ghost-type moves were not only ineffective against Psychic Pokémon, the only Ghost Pokémon at the time were part-Poison, also creating a vulnerability.

The issue was rectified in later generations with the addition of Steel and Dark types, an added weakness to Ghost-type moves, and more powerful Bug- and Ghost-type moves.

The Psychic-type is the only former special type to not have any of old moves changed into physical moves, while the Fighting-type is the only former physical type to not have any of old moves changed into special moves.

Two of the types that are super-effective against Psychic share a weakness with it. Dark types are also weak to Bug, and Ghost types are weak to Dark and Ghost.

Also, each of these types is immune to a type Psychic resists.

Generation III introduced the most Psychic-type Pokémon of any Generation, with 20 and Generation IV introduced the least Psychic-type Pokémon, with nine.

Generation I introduced the most Psychic-type moves of any Generation, with 15 and Generation II introduced the least Psychic-type moves, with two.

References

↑ Sugimori, Ken "Psychic Pokémon seemed to dominate in the previous Pokémon game, so we needed to come up with new Pokémon and types to make Gold and Silver more balanced." Nintendo Power 134 (July 2000) p. 79 (retrieved August 16, 2010)